Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to underwater leak detector devices and methods, and more particularly, to a novel apparatus for detecting unwanted leakage through swimming pool underwater light fixtures without requiring the person conducting the leak investigation to do so immersed underwater in the swimming pool.
Description of the Prior Art
It is well known in the swimming pool art to provide various devices for detecting leaks through cracks in the drain system of the pool or through cracks or unwanted openings elsewhere in the pool structure. One known prior art solution is to place a dye in the pool water in the vicinity of the drain (or suspected crack) and to observe the motion of the dye. This usually requires
A pool leak specialist to enter the water of a filled pool and be submerged during the dye placement and observant process. U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,690 discloses such a process.
Because application or placement of the dye underwater in the pool is so inconvenient, other solutions have been proposed where the dye insertion device is supported on the end of a pole and the pole is used as an extension to locate the dye application process underwater in the vicinity of the expected leak. Examples of these latter devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,261,269 and 6,637,258, respectively. They suffer from the disadvantage however of rendering difficult visibility of the dye in the suspected leak area because the investigator is usually remotely located on the coping of the pool holding the distal end of the pole.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,096, a pool leak detector apparatus is described where a floating funnel is connected via a tube to the end of a pole inserted in the pool water and the level of water in the floating funnel is observed. While this organization improves visibility of the leak detection process somewhat, using a floating funnel and observing the water level in the funnel is not precise, requires a relatively long period of time to detect slow leaks, and requires extra components including a tether to maintain the funnel in a reasonably stable position relative to pool structure and the person holding the pole.
In those cases where the suspected leakage is through a crack or unwanted opening in the receptacle or niche of a pool dome-light fixture, or in the conduit for the wiring of the pool light, the aforementioned prior art leakage detectors where a pole is employed are difficult to use because of the relatively high mounting position of the light fixture on the swimming pool wall. A need exists therefore for an improved leakage detector for swimming pool light fixture assemblies and methods of using same where the detector apparatus is not mounted on a pole, and where the leakage detector specialist does not have to enter the water of the swimming pool to conduct the leakage test.
In order to overcome the forgoing disadvantages of the prior art pool leak detection devices and/or methods, and to meet the foregoing need, the present invention fully discloses in this specification a new and improved swimming pool underwater light leak detection apparatus and method which can provide easy and rapid observance of a detected leak event without entering the water of the pool and being submerged, and wherein the apparatus contemplated is not only easy to use, but is easy to fabricate and therefore low in cost.
The foregoing desired characteristics are provided only by the unique underwater pool light leak detection apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other objects and advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.